Substance abuse is a problem
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that's impacting
people around the world.
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But how do you identify
the signs of substance abuse
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and what should you look for?
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Well, stay tuned to find out.
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My name is Jason Bradley.
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And I'm Yvonne Lewis Shelton,
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report.
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I'm your host Jason Bradley,
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and I'm so happy
that my lovely co-host,
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my mom, also known
as Yvonne Lewis Shelton
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is joining me today.
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It's great to have you.
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Thank you, Jay,
it's great to be here.
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And it's
wonderful to have our guest,
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Michelle Bertinetti,
and we are back for part two
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of Hidden in Plain Sight.
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Welcome, welcome back.
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Thank you so much
for having me back.
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Oh, you gave us such
great information in part one,
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and if you missed part one,
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make sure you
look it up on YouTube,
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we're going to put it
up on our YouTube channel.
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And our YouTube channel
for those that don't know is
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www.youtube.com/d2dnetworktv.
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Oh, okay, we're going to
have that up on the screen.
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Oh, yeah, they
will be able to do that.
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But, yeah, part
one was so informative
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that we really wanted
to have you for part two
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because as a parent,
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I know that when my
kids were coming up,
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there were things going on
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that I really
did not know about.
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Jason has a very
interesting testimony,
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and Jay, just give us a
little bit of what happened
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for those who
don't know what you...
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A little bit of your journey
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because that
really has something to do
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with what we're here for today.
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Okay, well, I'll
try and keep it brief.
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Okay, so my mom
raised me in the church.
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And then at the age of 14,
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I decided that that
didn't really apply to my life
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or at least I
didn't think it did,
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I didn't feel like it did,
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you know, the Bible says,
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"By beholding we become change."
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So I started
beholding all the wrong things,
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I started listening to
the wrong types of music
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that was glorifying drug use
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and the sale of
narcotics and all those things.
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I started watching movies
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that dealt with
the sale of narcotics,
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and glorifying drug
use, and alcohol use,
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just substance
abuse across the board.
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And I started hanging out
with some of the wrong people,
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but I had to live a double life
because I couldn't let her know
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what was going on, you know,
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and so I had to come up
with different little ways,
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and some of these
things that I see on the table
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are some of the
things that I used to use.
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There's, you know, smoker kits,
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and these
different types of things
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to try and disguise
the use of narcotics,
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and marijuana, and
all of these things,
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and so I started using that.
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Anyway I started smoking
marijuana as a gateway drug.
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Later on, down the
line, got into ecstasy,
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and then I also
started selling narcotics
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and stuff for a little while,
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got arrested, and it was facing
a potential 15 years in prison,
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and the Lord blessed me
to not have to go that route
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as my first offense,
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so I was able to
take a plea deal,
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and that was my rock bottom.
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And that was the last
time that I touched drugs.
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Shifting gears, a
couple years later,
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I accepted Christ as my savior
prior to coming to work here,
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and the best
decision I ever made.
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Amen.
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And how many years has it been
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since you've dealt
with drugs on any level?
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I'm 32 years old right
now, it was 20 years old,
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about to turn 21 years.
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So about 12 years? Yeah.
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Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
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That's great.
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Yeah, there's
hope through recovery.
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Yes, oh, yes.
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And the Lord, you know,
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we always talk on
Dare to Dream about,
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God has a plan for
us and Satan has a plan.
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And Satan's plan
is to destroy you,
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and to inundate you
with all of these drugs
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and things like that,
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and then God wants to give
you the abundant life in Him.
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And so now Jason has
had a chance to compare
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what life is
like on the dark side,
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and what life
is like with Jesus,
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and I think...
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It's so much
better on this side.
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I mean, if you were
to talk to me years ago
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and you would have said,
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"Oh, you're going to
be in full-time ministry,"
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I wasn't even in the church.
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So I definitely didn't think
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I would be in
full-time ministry,
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and then as the general manager
of the Dare to Dream network,
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like that wasn't in my future.
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I was managing a sports
bar prior too, so it's...
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Yeah, God is
amazing. He's amazing.
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Oh, your story gives
all those people out there
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that may be
suffering from addiction,
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that may be hiding
it from their family
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and their friends.
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We've had daddies
come through our programs
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that were
unintentionally addicted
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because they had, you know,
back surgery, maybe pushed it
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going back to
work a little early,
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and re-injured, and, you know,
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that starts that cycle
of unintentional addiction,
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so they, you know,
depend upon their pain pills,
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and taking those things
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in order to make
it through their day,
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and then they
realize they're addicted,
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and then, you know,
they go to their physician,
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the physician's like, "Oh, well,
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then if that's why
you're taking them,
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you know, you're kind of done."
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And then that
flips the switch for them
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because trying to buy
narcotics on the street,
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you were a seller.
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Yeah.
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You know that they're pricey,
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and there's a
lot of money in it...
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And it's risky. It's risky.
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Yeah. We're very happy that...
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His story gives us... It
gives so many people hope.
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Yes, yes, thank you.
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Yeah, because that...
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I mean, like he's
achieved says that,
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you know, anybody
that goes through addiction
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can have amazing accomplishments
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in their life as well.
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By the grace of
God, that's very true.
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And we're very thankful
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that you've
come from your agency
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to talk to us.
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We know you don't
have a ministry per se,
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but what you're doing
is changing lives and so.
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Just through education,
we appreciate the education
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that you gave us in part one,
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and we're looking
forward to it in part two.
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So let's talk
about some of these items
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that we have
here and what they do?
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Okay.
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Again just to go over,
these are some of the things
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that I have in my Hidden
in Plain Sight education on...
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Through the Gateway Foundation.
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Through the Gateway Foundation
on teenage drug trends.
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But I left a couple things
out there regard to marijuana,
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that kind of stem
from our last show together
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that I hadn't had
a chance to go over,
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but if someone
wants just to see this,
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I normally have it
sitting beside the bed
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and you may be
able to relate to this.
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It's a grinder.
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Yes, see, so he can identify it.
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If I as a parent,
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without my experience
at Gateway was to see this,
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I would think that it
was a makeup container
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or maybe something that
somebody put jewellery in.
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So if I was to open
I would expect earrings
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or, you know, something else,
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and I wouldn't even
think to look in it.
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Yeah, and for a guy, I mean,
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I just probably wouldn't even
think about looking at this.
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No, and a lot of times
they set it beside their bed,
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so, right, he understands
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a lot of the
adolescents in my facility,
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they tell me and
share things with me,
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and so that helps me
to help educate parents
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and grandparents,
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and anybody that has
a role with adolescents.
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But yeah, so this
is just a grinder.
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And if I was to see it,
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I wouldn't
really recognize that.
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This was donated by
Marion police department.
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What is that? What
does the grinder do?
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Oh, they put their
marijuana in here, the leaves,
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and the buds, and, you know,
the parts of the marijuana,
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they place it in here,
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and if you see all
that area through here,
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and then the top here is also...
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It's very similar to...
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If you were to think
about grinding your own pepper
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or grinding your own salt,
but this is a little larger
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because it's used
for grinding marijuana.
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So the products are
going to be a larger
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that they place in here.
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Okay.
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Saves you from breaking
it down with your hands,
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so you put it on
there and you just twist.
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Oh, okay.
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Okay, twist and twist
and twist, and then...
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Well, I can open it.
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And then the product
comes out in the bottom.
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Oh, I see.
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And that actually is marijuana.
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It's a small
amount that was just left
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in the grinder
from being donated.
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And I left it in here
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because there's a lot of parents
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that have never seen it.
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So it's...
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Can you open that
up for parents to...
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Can we get a
close up of that there?
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If you'd like to hold
it, just don't spill it.
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All right. All right.
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But yeah, so I left
it in there just so...
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There's so many
parents that come through
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and they have no idea
what it even looks like,
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you know, what
is the difference.
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And so I left it in
there to be able to show those
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that don't know
what it looks like,
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and so it's been in
there for over a year.
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But it gives the parents
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or anybody that doesn't
know what it looks like an idea.
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Right, right.
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And again, and I think I
mentioned this in part one.
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We are not trying to
teach young people what to do,
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they already
have all this stuff.
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Yeah.
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We're trying to show
you parents and grandparents
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what your young
people are doing.
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And what to look
for. And what to look for.
00:10:01.13\00:10:02.86
Because how can you
help prevent the use
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of narcotics or
the sale of narcotics
00:10:06.37\00:10:08.47
if you have no idea
what to even look for.
00:10:08.50\00:10:11.24
So this hopefully will help you
and provide you with the tools
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and resources that you need
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to be of assistance
to that young person
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that is struggling
with the use of narcotics.
00:10:19.38\00:10:22.08
Yeah, that's
such a very good point
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because that's
the purpose of this.
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Yes, absolutely.
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If somebody can
catch their adolescent
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or their teenager
at the beginning stages
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or the experimental stages,
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they can totally
change that direction
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and help guide
them in the right way
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so they don't
continue on that negative path.
00:10:40.84\00:10:42.74
That's right. That's right.
00:10:42.77\00:10:44.57
So...
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What are some more
things we've got here?
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Well, I always talk
to parents too about...
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I set up a mock
teenage girl bedroom,
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so I have a lot of
girl things in here,
00:10:53.38\00:10:55.78
but I can also reference
different things for guys.
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But these are rolling papers,
00:10:59.12\00:11:01.29
so, you know,
they're just sitting there,
00:11:01.32\00:11:03.63
and if nonchalantly
amongst other things...
00:11:03.66\00:11:06.26
So you could think
they're end papers, right?
00:11:06.29\00:11:08.56
I mean, you know, like
for the ends of your hair.
00:11:08.60\00:11:10.57
Oh, yeah, for whenever
you... Yes, whenever you...
00:11:10.60\00:11:13.27
Yeah, roll your hair.
00:11:13.30\00:11:14.64
Roll your hair
with the end papers.
00:11:14.67\00:11:16.71
But there...
Different references.
00:11:16.74\00:11:18.41
Yeah, different uses.
00:11:18.44\00:11:20.98
But these are actually
used to smoke marijuana,
00:11:21.01\00:11:24.38
they'll pull out a paper
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and they will line
it with the marijuana,
00:11:26.15\00:11:28.45
and roll it up just
like they were a cigarette
00:11:28.48\00:11:30.15
or somebody was
making their own cigarette.
00:11:30.19\00:11:32.35
So rolling papers are a
sign of possible drug use.
00:11:32.39\00:11:35.19
Okay.
00:11:35.22\00:11:36.76
Another thing too that
I talk to parents about
00:11:36.79\00:11:39.73
is checking the
makeup containers.
00:11:39.76\00:11:42.46
So they'll use
whatever they currently have
00:11:42.50\00:11:46.17
a lot of times,
00:11:46.20\00:11:47.54
you know, whatever's
easily at their disposal.
00:11:47.57\00:11:50.07
So here's a makeup container,
if you look in this direction,
00:11:50.11\00:11:52.77
it looks like
makeup if you flip it over
00:11:52.81\00:11:55.44
that looks like marijuana.
00:11:55.48\00:11:58.41
So...
00:11:58.45\00:11:59.78
And then for girls,
they'll use makeup containers,
00:11:59.81\00:12:02.12
but boys hide things
in things that boys use
00:12:02.15\00:12:05.35
like deodorant
and things like that,
00:12:05.39\00:12:07.62
so they may hide things
in deodorant containers.
00:12:07.66\00:12:11.03
So I just talk to parents to,
00:12:11.06\00:12:12.96
you know, if they
start seeing little signs
00:12:12.99\00:12:15.00
whenever they're looking
00:12:15.03\00:12:16.36
to check their
regular used things,
00:12:16.40\00:12:19.13
they can be used
as containers as well.
00:12:19.17\00:12:22.74
And then in here I
have some ping pong balls.
00:12:22.77\00:12:27.28
And I normally talked to parents
00:12:27.31\00:12:29.48
that ping pong balls for
teenagers could be a sign.
00:12:29.51\00:12:33.75
So if your child
hasn't signed up for,
00:12:33.78\00:12:36.48
you know, the ping pong
league at high school...
00:12:36.52\00:12:39.65
Right, right.
00:12:39.69\00:12:41.02
Or, you know, you
haven't recently purchased
00:12:41.06\00:12:43.69
the ping pong
table for kids to play,
00:12:43.73\00:12:46.70
but all the sudden they've got
00:12:46.73\00:12:48.06
all kinds of ping
pong balls laying around.
00:12:48.10\00:12:51.07
They've got them
in their backpack,
00:12:51.10\00:12:52.60
they're going to
have them in their bags,
00:12:52.63\00:12:54.37
they may have a few just
laying around here and there.
00:12:54.40\00:12:57.21
That's a sign that
they may be playing
00:12:57.24\00:12:59.47
drinking games.
00:12:59.51\00:13:01.88
Like what?
00:13:01.91\00:13:03.24
And how do you
use that to drink?
00:13:03.28\00:13:04.61
Well, a lot of
young adults and teenagers
00:13:04.65\00:13:10.29
play drinking games.
00:13:10.32\00:13:11.99
The majority of adolescents,
00:13:12.02\00:13:13.86
if they consume alcohol
is normally binge drinking.
00:13:13.89\00:13:18.73
For a grown adult,
00:13:18.76\00:13:20.30
they may go out and
have a glass of wine
00:13:20.33\00:13:23.53
or something at dinner
00:13:23.57\00:13:24.90
if they're partaking in alcohol.
00:13:24.93\00:13:28.27
But for an adolescent,
00:13:28.30\00:13:29.64
one they shouldn't be
having alcohol whatsoever,
00:13:29.67\00:13:31.01
they're not of age, of
legal age, and then two,
00:13:31.04\00:13:34.98
whenever they drink,
they typically binge drink,
00:13:35.01\00:13:37.21
and that's multiple
drinks within an hour.
00:13:37.25\00:13:40.22
And so why pong long
balls are a sign of that
00:13:40.25\00:13:43.42
is because they
play drinking games.
00:13:43.45\00:13:45.22
They set up cups
like Red Solo cups
00:13:45.25\00:13:48.62
or things like that,
and they all do shots.
00:13:48.66\00:13:52.26
So they'll bounce
the ping pong ball,
00:13:52.29\00:13:54.46
and if they make it,
00:13:54.50\00:13:55.83
they'll make up their own rules.
00:13:55.86\00:13:57.20
So, you know, it could be
if they make it is an example
00:13:57.23\00:13:59.73
then they don't have to drink,
00:13:59.77\00:14:01.34
and everybody else at
the table has to take a shot.
00:14:01.37\00:14:04.31
Or then you're
already passing it
00:14:04.34\00:14:05.67
on to somebody else that fast.
00:14:05.71\00:14:07.68
See where the
binge drinking kicks in.
00:14:07.71\00:14:10.58
A long time ago binge
drinking has been around,
00:14:10.61\00:14:13.01
and ping pong balls
playing the drinking game
00:14:13.05\00:14:16.18
has been around for a long time.
00:14:16.22\00:14:17.59
That was around
whenever I was in college.
00:14:17.62\00:14:20.72
But today, it's a concern.
00:14:20.76\00:14:24.19
So the reason why...
00:14:24.23\00:14:26.26
It was a concern
back then as well
00:14:26.29\00:14:28.16
but even more so today
00:14:28.20\00:14:29.53
because we have
things like energy drinks.
00:14:29.56\00:14:32.63
Like this
Monster drink right here.
00:14:32.67\00:14:35.10
So whenever they're
playing the drinking game
00:14:35.14\00:14:37.07
and they're taking a shot of,
00:14:37.11\00:14:38.74
you know, whatever it is
they're taking a shot of,
00:14:38.77\00:14:40.71
that's alcohol.
00:14:40.74\00:14:43.08
In the past, your body would say
00:14:43.11\00:14:45.25
you've made unwise choices,
00:14:45.28\00:14:47.68
you've continued to make
unwise choices for yourself,
00:14:47.72\00:14:52.02
and it will shut
down by passing out.
00:14:52.05\00:14:54.66
It says you're done
trying to make choices,
00:14:54.69\00:14:57.06
you know, you're
going to pass out,
00:14:57.09\00:14:58.63
you're done drinking.
00:14:58.66\00:15:01.03
And that's what would happen.
00:15:01.06\00:15:02.93
But since the
induction of these energy drinks
00:15:02.96\00:15:06.63
like this Monster right
here, they mix it with alcohol
00:15:06.67\00:15:09.60
so they don't
pass out so quickly.
00:15:09.64\00:15:12.84
So they do their shots
00:15:12.87\00:15:14.48
and they take a
drink of the Monster,
00:15:14.51\00:15:18.01
and then that
goes around the table.
00:15:18.05\00:15:20.02
And maybe there's
five or six of them
00:15:20.05\00:15:21.48
that are playing
this drinking game.
00:15:21.52\00:15:23.02
So whenever their
body would normally say,
00:15:23.05\00:15:24.85
"You're done."
00:15:24.89\00:15:26.25
You know, "You're done,
you didn't do a good job
00:15:26.29\00:15:28.12
making wise
choices for yourself,
00:15:28.16\00:15:29.62
and we're shutting it down,
00:15:29.66\00:15:31.19
and you're
passing out for a while,"
00:15:31.23\00:15:33.33
the Monster energy
drink keeps them awake.
00:15:33.36\00:15:37.43
And this is a
huge concern nowadays
00:15:37.47\00:15:40.04
because now we're
looking at alcohol poisoning
00:15:40.07\00:15:43.71
and alcohol toxicity in the body
00:15:43.74\00:15:46.27
because your body
isn't able to shut down
00:15:46.31\00:15:48.91
because the energy
drink keeps them awake.
00:15:48.94\00:15:51.35
Well, so it's almost as though
you have one foot on the brake
00:15:51.38\00:15:55.12
and one foot on the gas
00:15:55.15\00:15:57.12
because alcohol's a depressant,
00:15:57.15\00:15:59.09
that's a stimulant,
00:15:59.12\00:16:00.86
the energy
drinks are stimulants,
00:16:00.89\00:16:03.43
and so your body
doesn't know what to do,
00:16:03.46\00:16:06.86
like, "What am
I supposed to do?"
00:16:06.90\00:16:09.33
And this is a terrible...
00:16:09.36\00:16:12.50
This is terrible
00:16:12.53\00:16:13.87
what's going on
with our kids today.
00:16:13.90\00:16:16.20
Well, and they have no idea...
The danger that they were in.
00:16:16.24\00:16:18.71
The danger, yeah
they have no idea.
00:16:18.74\00:16:21.64
They feel like the untouchable
at a certain age too,
00:16:21.68\00:16:23.88
they feel like
you know I'm young,
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.25
I'm going to
living forever, you know.
00:16:26.28\00:16:27.72
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:16:27.75\00:16:29.82
And one thing I
hear from the teenagers
00:16:29.85\00:16:31.69
at my facility all the time is
00:16:31.72\00:16:35.06
they thought that
would never happen to them.
00:16:35.09\00:16:38.89
That they would
never get addicted.
00:16:38.93\00:16:40.26
They would never get addicted.
00:16:40.30\00:16:41.63
"I'm just going to
smoke a little marijuana,"
00:16:41.66\00:16:43.06
but as we talked about
that being a gateway drug
00:16:43.10\00:16:45.80
for adolescents,
you know, they never...
00:16:45.83\00:16:49.67
That was never their intention.
00:16:49.70\00:16:52.74
Not one of them said,
00:16:52.77\00:16:54.11
"I want to suffer from addiction
00:16:54.14\00:16:55.58
and steal things
from my mom and dad,
00:16:55.61\00:16:57.85
and make my
family upset with me,
00:16:57.88\00:17:00.22
and, you know, upset my friends,
00:17:00.25\00:17:03.32
and, you know,
cause turmoil in my life."
00:17:03.35\00:17:05.89
Not one of them said
that they wanted all of that.
00:17:05.92\00:17:07.89
Yeah. Do you see...
00:17:07.92\00:17:09.66
Do you come across people
00:17:09.69\00:17:11.03
that they're clearly
addicted to marijuana,
00:17:11.06\00:17:14.03
but they say, "Oh, I'm
not addicted to marijuana,
00:17:14.06\00:17:15.90
I can quit."
00:17:15.93\00:17:18.10
And if they say that,
"Why don't you quit then?"
00:17:18.13\00:17:21.50
Oh, the aspect of
addiction to marijuana,
00:17:21.54\00:17:24.67
marijuana is different,
00:17:24.71\00:17:26.04
there's a
couple different things
00:17:26.07\00:17:27.64
that your question
brings to light to me.
00:17:27.68\00:17:30.65
One, marijuana is different
than it was 20 years ago.
00:17:30.68\00:17:33.58
There is a much higher
level of concentration of THC
00:17:33.62\00:17:38.62
than marijuana today.
00:17:38.65\00:17:41.66
Is it grown that way
or is it added to it?
00:17:41.69\00:17:44.29
Well, actually it's just like
00:17:44.33\00:17:46.23
if you think about
all of our vegetables,
00:17:46.26\00:17:49.50
you know, there's
additives to the growing,
00:17:49.53\00:17:51.67
so you've got this, you know,
00:17:51.70\00:17:53.17
instead of the tomato plant now,
00:17:53.20\00:17:54.67
making a couple of
tomatoes here and there,
00:17:54.70\00:17:57.31
now we add miracle grow,
00:17:57.34\00:17:58.77
and now my tomato plant
makes a whole lot of tomatoes,
00:17:58.81\00:18:03.18
and it is still producing
00:18:03.21\00:18:04.55
all the way up through September
00:18:04.58\00:18:06.28
because I miracle
growing once a week.
00:18:06.31\00:18:09.05
And, you know,
00:18:09.08\00:18:10.42
so it's the same
thing with the marijuana.
00:18:10.45\00:18:11.79
So they've done things
00:18:11.82\00:18:14.22
to alter its
growth over the years,
00:18:14.26\00:18:17.93
and so there's a
much higher level of THC
00:18:17.96\00:18:22.20
in marijuana today.
00:18:22.23\00:18:24.07
And sometimes, we've
had people come through
00:18:24.10\00:18:26.47
adolescence, come
through our program
00:18:26.50\00:18:29.14
that their
addiction to marijuana
00:18:29.17\00:18:31.81
took them in some
really negative pathway
00:18:31.84\00:18:34.74
similar to some of the more,
00:18:34.78\00:18:37.51
you know, more,
maybe more serious drugs.
00:18:37.55\00:18:43.45
So we've had teenage girl
that shared her story with me,
00:18:43.49\00:18:48.32
and she was actually
gone from her parents' home
00:18:48.36\00:18:51.09
for three weeks
smoking marijuana.
00:18:51.13\00:18:55.16
She was absent from
school, her parents were afraid,
00:18:55.20\00:18:58.00
they didn't know
where their child was.
00:18:58.03\00:19:01.30
And then whenever she surfaced,
00:19:01.34\00:19:03.27
she said, well,
this is what I was doing.
00:19:03.30\00:19:04.74
Well, they didn't...
00:19:04.77\00:19:06.11
They couldn't
possibly imagine that
00:19:06.14\00:19:07.48
that be addiction
or a problem, you know,
00:19:07.51\00:19:09.48
because they didn't understand
addiction and the changes,
00:19:09.51\00:19:12.38
and the things
that are different from,
00:19:12.41\00:19:14.55
you know, whenever
they were kids to now...
00:19:14.58\00:19:16.62
Back in the day.
00:19:16.65\00:19:18.39
Yeah, so they were just,
you know, they grounded her
00:19:18.42\00:19:21.69
and told her to, you
know, make sure that she,
00:19:21.72\00:19:24.59
you know, they
worked with the teachers,
00:19:24.63\00:19:26.26
they got her
caught up on school,
00:19:26.29\00:19:28.93
and six months later, a
very similar experience.
00:19:28.96\00:19:32.90
And so the parents,
00:19:32.93\00:19:34.34
they couldn't
understand this at all.
00:19:34.37\00:19:36.17
But this teenage
girl, she was 15,
00:19:36.20\00:19:39.34
and she went through our
residential treatment program
00:19:39.37\00:19:42.28
for her addiction to marijuana,
so that is possible nowadays.
00:19:42.31\00:19:47.02
It's not as common or is
easily to get addicted to
00:19:47.05\00:19:50.95
as say heroin
00:19:50.99\00:19:52.69
or some of our
more serious like meth,
00:19:52.72\00:19:55.39
you know, some of
our serious things
00:19:55.42\00:19:56.76
that takes more use,
00:19:56.79\00:19:58.13
but it also depends
upon the individual.
00:19:58.16\00:20:00.60
And there are
genetic backgrounds
00:20:00.63\00:20:04.43
whether addiction
runs in their family.
00:20:04.47\00:20:06.07
There are so many factors,
00:20:06.10\00:20:07.44
adolescents and kids
don't think about this.
00:20:07.47\00:20:09.94
And myself, as a
parent, I wouldn't either
00:20:09.97\00:20:13.04
without my
experience at Gateway.
00:20:13.07\00:20:14.44
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.01
So... But there is...
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.55
But with that road to
addiction that just...
00:20:17.58\00:20:20.05
Yeah, and people
don't understand.
00:20:20.08\00:20:21.88
So the parents were
like, "I just don't understand,
00:20:21.92\00:20:23.79
I told her many times
to stop smoking marijuana."
00:20:23.82\00:20:27.79
You know, "I am
just at my wits end,
00:20:27.82\00:20:29.92
she says she's going to,
and then here we are again,"
00:20:29.96\00:20:32.79
and they're upset,
and they don't understand
00:20:32.83\00:20:36.16
the aspect of addiction.
00:20:36.20\00:20:38.80
Now you mentioned meth,
00:20:38.83\00:20:40.40
what are some signs of meth use?
00:20:40.44\00:20:43.10
Ah, that's very good question.
00:20:43.14\00:20:46.24
Meth in southern
Illinois is actually increased
00:20:46.27\00:20:49.91
over the last year.
00:20:49.94\00:20:51.28
So we have a lot
more meth coming through.
00:20:51.31\00:20:54.12
It's referred to as
ice, it's coming from Mexico.
00:20:54.15\00:20:58.05
And people aren't
making meth anymore,
00:20:58.09\00:21:00.42
majority of the time.
00:21:00.46\00:21:01.79
Oh, they're not,
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.16
so they don't have a
lot of meth labs around.
00:21:03.19\00:21:04.53
Meth labs had
decreased, not that no one does,
00:21:04.56\00:21:07.43
but that's majorly decreased,
00:21:07.46\00:21:09.80
and it's actually rare
now in southern Illinois,
00:21:09.83\00:21:14.20
and they're buying the meth
that's coming up from Mexico,
00:21:14.24\00:21:18.11
and it's being filtered
as other drugs are filtered
00:21:18.14\00:21:20.58
throughout the United States.
00:21:20.61\00:21:22.51
There are larger cities
00:21:22.54\00:21:23.88
and then down through
our smaller communities,
00:21:23.91\00:21:25.68
we're not immune.
00:21:25.71\00:21:27.05
Wow! Oh, go ahead, Jay.
00:21:27.08\00:21:30.02
No, I was going to
say... You go ahead.
00:21:30.05\00:21:32.12
We have...
00:21:32.15\00:21:33.49
Don't think that we
didn't vacuum in here.
00:21:33.52\00:21:37.39
These three little
pieces of paper are interesting
00:21:37.43\00:21:41.73
because Michelle
wants to explain what...
00:21:41.76\00:21:44.53
How this is a sign of meth use?
00:21:44.57\00:21:47.10
Well, actually
00:21:47.14\00:21:48.94
they're little pieces
of tin foil on the floor,
00:21:48.97\00:21:51.14
and why they are sign is
00:21:51.17\00:21:54.38
whenever somebody is using meth,
00:21:54.41\00:21:56.31
there's a couple different ways.
00:21:56.34\00:21:57.68
They may smoke it
00:21:57.71\00:21:59.05
so they wouldn't
use the aluminum foil.
00:21:59.08\00:22:02.28
But if they've
advanced in their disease state,
00:22:02.32\00:22:06.86
so maybe they're not
smoking it or snorting it,
00:22:06.89\00:22:09.59
which is a lot of signs of the,
00:22:09.62\00:22:11.73
you know, hollowed out pins
00:22:11.76\00:22:13.09
and different things
that people used to snort,
00:22:13.13\00:22:16.43
and they've
advanced to an IV use,
00:22:16.46\00:22:19.17
where they're
injecting it with a needle.
00:22:19.20\00:22:21.17
Oh, wow.
00:22:21.20\00:22:22.54
So that addiction
advances just like others,
00:22:22.57\00:22:25.97
you know, it's no different.
00:22:26.01\00:22:28.01
And so if they're an IV user,
00:22:28.04\00:22:31.05
they'll use
aluminum foil to liquefy it.
00:22:31.08\00:22:34.78
And I have a meth kit
that I brought with me,
00:22:34.82\00:22:38.29
and I think it's this one.
00:22:38.32\00:22:40.46
And I'll pull out
the aluminum foil.
00:22:40.49\00:22:43.46
But they'll use
the aluminum foil,
00:22:43.49\00:22:46.80
and they will...
00:22:46.83\00:22:49.76
They will lace it like this,
and they put the product here,
00:22:49.80\00:22:52.23
and they'll heat it underneath
with a lighter and liquefy it,
00:22:52.27\00:22:55.90
then they'll pull it up
in a syringe and inject it.
00:22:55.94\00:22:59.47
Once they're done injecting it,
00:22:59.51\00:23:00.88
that high goes
directly into their bloodstream
00:23:00.91\00:23:03.35
because they're
injecting it into a vein,
00:23:03.38\00:23:06.61
that's why I have
rubber bands laying around,
00:23:06.65\00:23:08.32
they're signs
of possible IV use.
00:23:08.35\00:23:10.59
A lot of times an IV drug
user will have a rubber band
00:23:10.62\00:23:14.62
that they wear on their wrist.
00:23:14.66\00:23:15.99
As a tourniquet?
00:23:16.02\00:23:17.36
And they'll use
it as a tourniquet,
00:23:17.39\00:23:18.99
or for girls it's
the ponytail holders.
00:23:19.03\00:23:23.43
And I always have one
on my wrist type thing.
00:23:23.47\00:23:27.04
And that's not always 100% sign,
00:23:27.07\00:23:28.90
some girls just do.
00:23:28.94\00:23:30.57
But if you're noticing a
change in their behavior,
00:23:30.61\00:23:33.98
and you're noticing
some significant things
00:23:34.01\00:23:36.14
that are making you think
something may be going on,
00:23:36.18\00:23:38.15
and then you
notice, oh, all of a sudden
00:23:38.18\00:23:40.22
they have this rubber band
00:23:40.25\00:23:41.58
around their wrist or something,
00:23:41.62\00:23:42.95
then maybe worth
looking a little closer into.
00:23:42.98\00:23:46.22
But yeah, so they
liquefy but at the minute
00:23:46.25\00:23:48.12
that they shoot up and get high,
00:23:48.16\00:23:50.46
the first thing they do
00:23:50.49\00:23:51.83
is crumple up the
aluminum foil like this,
00:23:51.86\00:23:54.50
and wherever they
are, they drop it.
00:23:54.53\00:23:57.73
So that's why
aluminum foil pieces
00:23:57.77\00:24:00.47
on the floor are a
sign of possible drug use.
00:24:00.50\00:24:04.81
And it may not be...
00:24:04.84\00:24:06.54
That will be
maybe in their bedrooms,
00:24:06.57\00:24:08.68
in their bathroom,
00:24:08.71\00:24:10.58
that may be in the
floorboard of their car,
00:24:10.61\00:24:13.38
and may be behind a
garage or an old building,
00:24:13.42\00:24:18.25
you'll see all these
pieces of aluminum foil,
00:24:18.29\00:24:20.26
like, "I don't
know why they're there?"
00:24:20.29\00:24:22.29
What do you do
when you first find
00:24:22.32\00:24:24.86
that your child is using
00:24:24.89\00:24:27.46
whether it's
marijuana or whether it's,
00:24:27.50\00:24:30.20
you know, as an
outreach coordinator
00:24:30.23\00:24:34.07
for a drug program,
what would you recommend?
00:24:34.10\00:24:37.67
Well, the first instinct
for parents are all different
00:24:37.71\00:24:40.74
because we all
respond differently.
00:24:40.78\00:24:43.45
But we talk to
parents about taking a minute,
00:24:43.48\00:24:47.42
and if they're
upset, calming down
00:24:47.45\00:24:49.72
because the best approach isn't,
00:24:49.75\00:24:52.49
you know, a screaming
match with your child.
00:24:52.52\00:24:55.42
The best most effective approach
00:24:55.46\00:24:57.89
that you can take is from
a concerned caring parent.
00:24:57.93\00:25:03.37
"I found these
things, and I'm concerned,
00:25:03.40\00:25:05.80
and I care about
you, let's talk about it."
00:25:05.83\00:25:09.27
Because then the child
00:25:09.30\00:25:10.71
is not going to
shut down on you,
00:25:10.74\00:25:12.57
and they're
going to be more open
00:25:12.61\00:25:14.28
because my mom cares.
00:25:14.31\00:25:15.94
And as adults, you know,
we've already researched it
00:25:15.98\00:25:19.21
and contacted some people,
00:25:19.25\00:25:20.58
and we know things
that children don't know
00:25:20.62\00:25:23.59
regarding addiction
and things like that.
00:25:23.62\00:25:25.82
And so we can have that effect
of meaningful conversation
00:25:25.85\00:25:30.33
and really help
steer our children
00:25:30.36\00:25:31.76
if they need
help, and, you know,
00:25:31.79\00:25:33.63
we want them to be honest,
we don't want them to hide that
00:25:33.66\00:25:36.80
because the faster we
can get them in for treatment
00:25:36.83\00:25:39.20
and get them the
right tools and education
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.40
to make that life
change, the better.
00:25:41.44\00:25:44.27
If they're not, and they're
in the experimental phase,
00:25:44.31\00:25:46.57
oh, what a blessing.
00:25:46.61\00:25:48.51
Because, okay, they
tried it a couple times,
00:25:48.54\00:25:50.48
yeah, that's, you
know, it's kind of upsetting,
00:25:50.51\00:25:53.15
but a lot of kids do.
00:25:53.18\00:25:55.58
Statistics show that
high rates of seniors,
00:25:55.62\00:25:58.79
I think, I don't
have my information,
00:25:58.82\00:26:00.72
but it's in the
upper 60s to 70%.
00:26:00.76\00:26:03.76
High school senior?
00:26:03.79\00:26:05.13
High school seniors
have tried something
00:26:05.16\00:26:07.26
at some point in
time, at least once.
00:26:07.30\00:26:10.57
So with rates that
high, the possibility
00:26:10.60\00:26:12.93
that they may
have tried something
00:26:12.97\00:26:14.30
and you caught it at
that stage, that's great,
00:26:14.34\00:26:16.94
but it's to remain calm
00:26:16.97\00:26:19.24
and to approach
it from a concerned,
00:26:19.27\00:26:21.51
caring perspective.
00:26:21.54\00:26:24.25
Not that, "You're
grounded for life,
00:26:24.28\00:26:25.68
I'm going to remove everything,
00:26:25.71\00:26:27.28
you're going to
learn not to do this.
00:26:27.32\00:26:29.72
And I'm calling your
grandma, and I'm telling people,
00:26:29.75\00:26:33.22
so that they
will talk to you too,"
00:26:33.25\00:26:36.29
you know, that's
not the correct approach
00:26:36.32\00:26:38.99
if you're wanting the result
00:26:39.03\00:26:40.53
that we all want
for our children.
00:26:40.56\00:26:43.87
And that's for them to open up,
to have that honest discussion,
00:26:43.90\00:26:48.87
and to help them
00:26:48.90\00:26:50.24
hopefully steer them
in the right direction.
00:26:50.27\00:26:51.94
Yes.
00:26:51.97\00:26:53.31
You know,
because even marijuana,
00:26:53.34\00:26:54.68
smoking marijuana,
00:26:54.71\00:26:56.04
kids perceive it
as safe because...
00:26:56.08\00:26:59.48
They misperceive it.
00:26:59.51\00:27:00.85
Yeah, they misperceive
it as safe and it's not.
00:27:00.88\00:27:05.29
It may have a
municipal purpose to it
00:27:05.32\00:27:07.92
for a certain disease state.
00:27:07.96\00:27:10.53
But whenever I
talk to teenagers,
00:27:10.56\00:27:12.03
I say, "You don't go home
00:27:12.06\00:27:13.40
and take, you
know, your parents,
00:27:13.43\00:27:16.10
you know,
overactive bladder medication
00:27:16.13\00:27:19.13
or you know, you're
not searching that out.
00:27:19.17\00:27:23.64
That's because that's intended
for a specific disease state.
00:27:23.67\00:27:27.81
Right, right.
00:27:27.84\00:27:29.18
And, you know, if
marijuana was prescribed,
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.61
it's for something
severe to where the benefit
00:27:31.65\00:27:33.72
would outweigh the risk.
00:27:33.75\00:27:35.08
And for adolescents,
it can actually pause
00:27:35.12\00:27:37.69
their frontal lobe development.
00:27:37.72\00:27:40.52
That's something I
didn't even know as a teenager,
00:27:40.56\00:27:42.22
no one told me that, you know,
00:27:42.26\00:27:44.26
smoking marijuana
could pause the development.
00:27:44.29\00:27:46.80
And the frontal lobe is
where you make your judgments.
00:27:46.83\00:27:49.30
I can't believe our
time is up. It's up.
00:27:49.33\00:27:51.73
Oh, my, God.
00:27:51.77\00:27:53.10
Michele, thank you so
much. What a great information.
00:27:53.13\00:27:54.60
Thank you so much
for the opportunity
00:27:54.64\00:27:56.54
to come back.
00:27:56.57\00:27:57.91
Absolutely. I
really appreciate it.
00:27:57.94\00:27:59.71
And thank you,
thank you for joining us.
00:27:59.74\00:28:01.58
Join us next time, and remember,
00:28:01.61\00:28:02.94
it just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:28:02.98\00:28:04.91